Bucket Lister Relic Hunt With The Equinox

[Cal_Cobra]

Apologies if this is a repeat for some, but it occurred to me that posting this on the Equinox forum wasn't really the best place for a relic hunt ?

Tom and I were able to get out and check out a remote site that we researched in the spring.  Research indicated that it predated the gold rush by at least 20 years, but apparently it was a gold rush era camp, as everything that we dug was pure 1850's.  There weren't a ton of targets there, but everything you dug was old, not a single pull-tab, no clad, interestingly no bullets or shell casings either (hip hip hooray for that!!!),  nothing dug by either of us was newer than the 1850's.  

The first bucket lister was a cast tongue and grove eagle buckle!  I dug the male part, and five feet away I dug the female part.  Somehow, I lost the female part ? The female buckle shown above it in the group shot is smaller, and was broken in two parts, and dug in two digs, but they fit together perfectly so they must go together. Also dug a broken tongue, so must be another eagle to match it out there, and below that is a thin female buckle part that's all mangled up.   Hopefully I can find the buckle half that I lost, should be on the surface. 

My second bucket lister was a decorative powder flask (one side only), also shown is a pewter spoon (pretty rare to find these in California):

This early Eagle on an Anchor Navy button was all crudded up, but I could see a glint of gold gilt left, so I used lemon juice to clean it, and am very happy with the results!

This a sword hilt!!   Cleaned up nicely with lemon juice (tu)

Little sash buckle kind of decorative item:

Found this token, it's a large size, thought it was a large cent when first dug, but it turns out to be considered the first token issued in California!

http://tokencatalog.com/token_record_forms.php?action=DisplayTokenRecord&td_id=8515&inventory_id=8752&td_image_id=33494&attribution_id=8321&record_offset=2

Some misc finds.  There were a ton of tools dug at this site, axe heads, chisels, and other misc tools.  I dug a bunch of lead and other small scrap/junk conductors not shown.  That big square nail is bronze.

 

Planning to return to the site this weekend, and I believe there are other camps there, and larger than this one, so hopefully we have as good of luck with them as this one.

 

GL&HH,
Cal

[gambler]

cool stuff.

[Steve Herschbach]

Congratulations on a great hunt Brian - proof you do not have to fly to England to make great relic finds!

[Cal_Cobra]

12 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Congratulations on a great hunt Brian - proof you do not have to fly to England to make great relic finds!

Thanks Steve, and true, but for that ancient gold you sure do!  Enjoyed reading about your England adventures,  I get excited digging the oldest stuff we can find in California and Nevada, and you're blowing us out by a couple thousand years LOL

[Gerry in Idaho]

Fantastic recoveries Brian.  Certainly a hot site as those finds are quite rare and I love the two piece types.  Also, the token is quite interesting and I always enjoy seeing those part powder flasks.  Keep it up.

[Cal_Cobra]

Thanks Gerry! 

We've barely scratched the surface of this site, it should keep us busy for a few years ?